NFL Nation: Paul Spicer
This made it easy to see which agents had the most projected UFA clients, and how many starts those clients averaged in 2009.
The result is the chart below. Drew Rosenhaus has more than 100 clients across the league, more than any agent. The NFL lists 15 of them on its projected UFA list, including Terrell Owens and three NFC West players (Randy McMicahel, Anthony Becht and Olindo Mare).
Agents Peter Schaffer and Brian Mackler are next on the list with seven projected UFA clients apiece, but no agent with at least four players listed can match Tony Agnone for players with lots of 2009 starts. Agnone's list features 16-game starters Casey Rabach, Kyle Vanden Bosch and Bobbie Williams, plus seven-game starter Michael Gaines.
The NFL has no agents listed for Phillip Daniels, Tully Banta-Cain, Leigh Bodden, Mike Furrey, Damion Cook, Tank Johnson and Matt Ware.
Jeff Feagles, Jeff Zgonina, Daunte Culpepper, Paul Spicer, Clinton Hart and Vernon Fox are listed as representing themselves.
Saints' Shockey active, Jenkins not
The biggest name on the inactive list is rookie cornerback Malcolm Jenkins, but that’s not a huge surprise. Jenkins had been questionable with a hamstring injury.
Also inactive for the Saints are linebacker Anthony Waters, guard Jamar Nesbit, tight end Darnell Dinkins, tight end Adrian Arrington and defensive end Paul Spicer. Chase Daniel is the third quarterback.
McAllister was signed yesterday after sitting out all season. He’s expected to lead the Saints onto the field as a ceremonial gesture. Defensive back Chris Reis, linebacker Anthony Waters, guard Jamar Nesbit, tight end Darnell Dinkins, tight end Tory Humphrey and defensive end Paul Spicer also are inactive to the Saints. Chase Daniel is the third quarterback.
Arizona’s inactives are quarterback Brian St. Pierre, fullback Nehemiah Broughton, safety Rashad Johnson, linebacker Gerald Hayes, offensive lineman Herman Johnson, defensive end Jeremy Clark, receiver Anquan Boldin and tight end Stephen Spach.
Receiver Anquan Boldin, linebacker Gerald Hayes, fullback Nehemiah Broughton, safety Rashad Johnson, tackle Herman Johnson, defensive end Jeremy Clark and tight end Stephen Spach are inactive for the Cardinals. Brian St. Pierre is the third quarterback. If he plays, starter Kurt Warner and backup Matt Leinart cannot enter the game.
Inactive for the Saints: running back Deuce McAllister, safety Chris Reis, linebacker Anthony Waters, guard Jamar Nesbit, tight end Darnell Dinkins, tight end Tory Humphrey and defensive end Paul Spicer. Chase Daniel is the third quarterback.
The pressbox announcer just referred to Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt as "Ken Wizenhunt" -- another indication which team is the visitor for this divisional-round game.
Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas
Biggest surprise: Lynell Hamilton virtually forced the Saints to keep four running backs. A practice-squad player last year, Hamilton turned in an impressive preseason performance and beat out undrafted rookies P.J. Hill and Herb Donaldson. At 235 pounds, Hamilton could be a short-yardage specialist. He’ll be behind Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell on the depth chart. But Bush and Thomas each have histories of getting banged up so there’s a good chance Hamilton will get some playing time. Hamilton could even get some work at fullback because Heath Evans is the only one on the roster at that position.
No-brainer: A lot of people just assumed Paul Spicer would make the roster because he’s a 10-year veteran and the Saints will be without suspended defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant for the start of the season. But I remember watching Spicer in camp and thinking it didn’t look he had much left. Give the Saints credit for facing reality and not just relying on Spicer’s reputation. They might not be done at this position yet because they have only Bobby McCray, Anthony Hargrove and Jeff Charleston behind Smith and Grant.
What’s next: With Pro Bowler Drew Brees and veteran Mark Brunell, the Saints are in fine shape at quarterback. But they still need to do something at this position after releasing Joey Harrington. It might be something as simple as signing a young quarterback to the practice squad. The Saints don’t necessarily need to carry three quarterbacks on the regular season roster. But they need to have one more quarterback in the building to run the scout team and to be ready just in case of disaster.
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| AP Photo/Bill Haber | |
| Jonathan Vilma is excited about playing for new coordinator Gregg Williams. |
Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas
METAIRIE, La. -- By all accounts, Jonathan Vilma resurrected his career with the New Orleans Saints last season. After clashing with coach Eric Mangini with the Jets and enduring an injury, Vilma found a home in the middle of New Orleans' 4-3 defense.
He got back to playing middle linebacker the way he was used to playing it and instantly became the leader of the defense. By Vilma's account, that wasn't nearly good enough.
Personal satisfaction has a way of getting watered down when you're playing on a defense that's not very good. Vilma might have been a bright spot, but the rest of the defense was a dark hole. Nine different times the Saints allowed opponents to score at least 27 points and they lost seven of those games.
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In the process, the defense helped squander a brilliant season by quarterback Drew Brees and the offense. Brees threw for more than 5,000 yards, but it didn't mean much because the defense didn't stop anyone and the Saints finished out of the playoffs for the second straight year.
It's critical the streak doesn't reach three seasons because that would put coach Sean Payton very much on the hot seat. That's why Payton brought in coordinator Gregg Williams to run the defense and encouraged general manager Mickey Loomis to reshuffle the defensive personnel.
Williams' impact has been felt from the first moment he entered the building and it's been obvious out on the practice field.
"The X's and O's are pretty much the same," Vilma said. "But it's a different mindset. It's about letting us play. Coach Williams lets us know it's all right to go out there and make mistakes. It's all right to go out there and be wrong. As long as you're doing it 100 miles per hour, as long as you're hitting somebody, it's all right. We'll go into the meetings and make our corrections there."
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ESPN.com fantasy expert Eric Karabell thinks Saints running back Pierre Thomas is "about to become a star." "Everybody's playing with swagger," defensive end Bobby McCray said. "We've got 160-pound cornerbacks looking to knock your head off."
That should be a welcome sight in New Orleans, where there wasn't a lot of hitting last season, and cornerbacks (and safeties) spent most of their time chasing receivers who already had caught the ball. The roles will be different this season.
"It's a lot more man-on-man," said veteran safety Darren Sharper, who was brought in as a free agent to help stabilize the secondary. "You're doing some zone. You're blitzing guys from different directions. That shouldn't be a problem for us. We have no excuses as far as getting to the quarterback. It's a state of mind. You attack the ball. You have 11 guys being aggressive and you make aggressive calls. We're going to be an aggressive, attacking defense."
It's been said that even an average defense might be good enough to get the Saints to the playoffs. But the Saints aren't looking for an average defense. They want more.
"We can be as good as we want to be," Vilma said. "We have the talent. We had the talent last year, but we just didn't make plays. This year, we're focusing on making those plays. The talent is there. It's just a matter of going out and doing it."
Key Questions
Even with all of the defensive changes, isn't the expected loss of starting defensive ends Charles Grant and Will Smith to suspensions for the first four games going to be very difficult to overcome?
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It's never good to be without your starting defensive ends. But the Saints have had the entire offseason to prepare for this situation.
They brought in veterans Paul Spicer and Anthony Hargrove, and they still have McCray, who might have outplayed the underachieving Grant and Smith last season. The Saints would like to use McCray as a pass-rush specialist once Grant and Smith return, but they believe he can fill a starting role in the short term. They're also very fired up about Hargrove, who appears very focused after having some problems that interrupted his career.
There's even hope that Grant and Smith might be better off in the long run because of the suspensions. Both are very talented, but haven't played up to their ability the past couple of years. The Saints are hoping they'll come back from the suspensions with more motivation than ever.
Can the No. 1 offense be as good as last year?
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| Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images | |
| Quarterback Drew Brees threw for more than 5,000 yards for the Saints last season. |
Heck, it could be even better. Brees' season was remarkable under any circumstances. But a lot of people tend to forget he did all of that with the top three offensive weapons banged up for most of the year. Brees threw for more than 5,000 yards, but didn't have a 1,000-yard receiver or any consistency in the running game.
The 1,000-yard receiver shouldn't be an issue this year. Marques Colston is back at full health and looking absolutely spectacular in training camp. He's the kind of big receiver who should be good for somewhere around 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. Throw in tight end Jeremy Shockey, who never was at full strength last year, but is healthy now.
Shockey and Brees look to be developing a strong chemistry in camp. When healthy, Shockey can be one of the league's best tight ends. He didn't catch a touchdown pass last year. He's painfully aware of that and wants to prove he still can find the end zone.
Then there's Reggie Bush. He was off to a very good start as a multi-purpose running back last year, but he got sidetracked by injuries and missed six games.
Can Bush ever live up to the hype he carried coming out of college?
If he stays healthy, yes. Bush will never be the kind of back who runs between the tackles 25 times a game. But that's not what the Saints are looking for. They'll let Pierre Thomas handle most of the carries between the tackles. Bush is a threat to score any time he touches the ball and the Saints will look to get him the ball in space as a runner, receiver and a return man.
Market watch
The Saints really were hoping that Dan Morgan or Stanley Arnoux could take over as the starter at weakside linebacker. But Morgan retired in June and Arnoux tore his Achilles tendon in offseason workouts and will miss the season. That means the Saints appear destined to stick with veteran Scott Shanle in a linebacking corps with Vilma and Scott Fujita. Shanle's experienced, but he doesn't make any big plays and lacks great speed. The Saints have been very impressed with young linebackers Anthony Waters and Jonathan Casillas so far in camp. They're raw, but Williams wants aggressiveness and he may take a chance on one of these guys.
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Receiver Devery Henderson, who struggled with drops through much of his career, suddenly started catching the ball last season. But the drops have resurfaced during camp and that's not a good sign. With Colston healthy and third-year pro Robert Meachem showing some signs he might live up to his status as a first-round pick in 2007, Henderson could end up as the fourth receiver.
Former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Rod Coleman ended a one-year retirement to make a comeback with the Saints. Coleman hasn't stood out in camp so far, but the Saints will use the preseason games to determine if Coleman has anything left. They'd like to use him as a part-time player on passing downs because he used to be one of the league's top interior rushers.
Newcomer to watch
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| Crystal LoGiudice/US Presswire | |
| Rookie Malcolm Jenkins has to make up for lost time now that he has agreed to terms on a contract. |
Top draft pick Malcolm Jenkins ended his holdout late Sunday night. Jenkins is a unique talent, but the holdout could have cost him a shot at a starting cornerback spot. The Saints paid big money to Jabari Greer in free agency and he's set at one starting spot. Tracy Porter has picked up where he left off when an injury ended a promising rookie season and has the edge for the other starting role. Jenkins isn't even guaranteed to land as the nickelback because veterans Randall Gay and Jason David have been playing well in camp.
Observation deck
There still are a lot of fans calling for the Saints to bring in veteran Edgerrin James to be the short-yardage running back, but that doesn't appear likely. First off, James isn't the prototypical short-yardage runner. Second, the Saints might already have their answer. They've been letting undrafted free agents P.J. Hill and Herb Donaldson compete with Mike Bell for this role. All three are true power backs and all three have looked good at times. ... Defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis showed some promise as a rookie, but injuries kept him from being on the field all the time. Ellis is quietly having a very nice camp and the Saints believe he's ready to really become a force in the middle. ... The Saints used a fifth-round draft pick on punter Thomas Morstead, but there's no guarantee he'll win the job. He's in a battle with Glenn Pakulak and, so far, it's a dead heat. ... Williams' base defense is the 4-3, but he started installing a 3-4 package last week. Don't look for the Saints to use the 3-4 a lot. But you could see a fair amount of it early in the season when Smith and Grant are out and the Saints will deal with a shortage of quality defensive linemen.
Here's some interesting info 
on cap hits and dead money from Football Outsiders. You have to be an Insider to see the whole report. But I got top secret clearance to share a bit.
The Texans' biggest cap number belongs to Matt Schaub ($10.25 million, 8 percent of their cap) and the most dead money is tied up in Anthony Weaver ($5.4 million, 4.2 percent).
My thoughts: Having Schaub in that slot is fine, and he's a guy that has to produce for them to succeed. Dead money is an interesting way to judge a team's failures, and Weaver's is a big number when you consider they've also made two sizable investments in their efforts to replace him -- signing free agent Antonio Smith and drafting Connor Barwin.
The Colts' biggest cap number belongs to Peyton Manning ($21.2+ million, 16.5 percent of the cap) and the most dead money is tied up in Marvin Harrison ($6.4 million, 5 percent of the cap).
My thoughts: No surprise with Manning, thought it's hard not to wonder what the Colts might be able to do if they could shrink that number. The Harrison decision was the tough kind where a team chooses to move on, parting ways with a guy who helped get it to new heights but had tailed off. Getting him off the books will pay off starting next year.
The Jaguars' biggest cap number belongs to David Garrard ($9 million, 6.6 percent of the cap) and the most dead money is a three-way tie between Jerry Porter, Drayton Florence and Paul Spicer ($2.5 million each, 1.8 percent of the cap each, 5.4 percent total.)
My thoughts: This is a big prove-it year for Garrard -- he either establishes himself as the guy or the Jaguars are forced to tacitly concede the big contract was a mistake and begin to look for a quarterback. The Porter and Florence hits show the damage bad signings can do, and the Spicer hit is a warning about loyalty to older guys.
The Titans' biggest cap his is Keith Bulluck ($9.1+ million, 6.8 percent of the cap) and the most dead money is tied up in Antonio Johnson ($86,726, 0.1 percent of cap).
My thoughts: Bulluck is in a contract year, but his agent has said he's been fairly paid on this contract and he's right. The dead money figure for Johnson, now with the Colts, is ridiculously low -- accounting for the 84th biggest total on the team right now. (The roster will ultimately only include 53 players.) In previous years, though, this franchise had huge numbers in the dead money column. This is great evidence of lessons learned.
The Jaguars are looking to trade receiver Dennis Northcutt.
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| Steve Mitchell/US Presswire | |
| Dennis Northcutt appears to be the latest veteran on the way out in Jacksonville. |
This suggests that after getting some time with Torry Holt and assessing Mike Walker and the three receivers the team drafted, the Jaguars are perfectly comfortable moving forward without players who accounted for 44 percent of their receptions last year.
Northcutt was the team's best receiver at the end of last season. With Matt Jones (since cut) suspended, Northcutt caught five balls for 127 yards and a touchdown in a win over Green Bay on Dec. 14 and eight catches for 101 yards and a touchdown in a Dec. 18 loss to Indianapolis.
But a team that's already let Jones go and showed no interest in retaining free agent Reggie Williams is looking to continue housecleaning.
Under first-year GM Gene Smith, they've cut running back Fred Taylor, Jones, defensive end Paul Spicer, cornerback Drayton Florence, receiver Jerry Porter, tight end George Wrighster and backup quarterback Cleo Lemon. The team didn't attempt to re-sign free agents Williams, safety Gerald Sensabaugh and tackle Khalif Barnes. They also traded defensive tackle Tony McDaniel.
Moving Northcutt would be yet another step in the housecleaning.
They're clearly ready to get Walker on the field with Holt and allow fourth-rounder Mike Thomas, fifth-rounder Jarett Dillard and seventh-rounder Tiquan Underwood to battle it out for the third spot and fill out the depth.
Northcutt, 31, is a savvy player who can still help someone. But revealing they are looking to trade him could prompt an interested team to wait and see if he isn't ultimately released.
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| Chris Graythen/Getty Images | |
| Led by Drew Brees and Reggie Bush, the Saints have plenty of firepower on offense. |
Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas
METAIRIE, La. -- To understand why the New Orleans Saints have a chance to do great things this season, you have to go back to the lowest moment of last season.
Believe it or not, there was some beauty in early October's 30-27 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the Superdome. Do you need a reminder of the ugliness? Think of the Saints making Gus Frerotte and Bernard Berrian seem like Joe Montana and Dwight Clark just moments after Reggie Bush had made two miraculous punt returns for touchdowns in a "Monday Night Football" game.
As the Vikings kicked the winning field goal with 13 seconds remaining, defensive back Darren Sharper stood on the Minnesota sidelines. In hindsight, he glimpsed something special in the Saints.
"I think the main thing was I saw this team as being on the cusp of not only making the playoffs, but of making a championship run,'' Sharper said.
Cusp of the playoffs? Coach Sean Payton's Saints finished the 2008 campaign 8-8, and that came on the heels of a 7-9 season.
"Three or four games, they let big plays happen,'' Sharper said. "That's the difference between 11-5 and 8-8.''
As crazy as it might sound, Sharper's precisely right. The Saints might be the league's biggest disappointment the last two seasons, but that's also part of the reason they might be this year's most promising team.
They're loaded with names -- Drew Brees, Bush, Jeremy Shockey, Marques Colston and Jonathan Vilma. The flashy marquee has not yielded dramatic results. The Saints were the trendy pick by a lot of media outlets to make the Super Bowl last season, but didn't even come close.
Blame it on bad luck, a rash of injuries or whatever. No matter how you look at it, the Saints underachieved. They're out to make sure it doesn't happen again. Maybe it's better that they're coming into this season without high expectations from the outside, because, on the inside, the Saints are expecting a lot more.
That's part of the reason Sharper decided to sign with the Saints as a free agent. That's part of the reason the Saints brought in defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, cornerback Jabari Greer, defensive end Paul Spicer and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins.
"I wanted to go with the team that has the best chance of winning a ring,'' Sharper said. "I think New Orleans has that.''
On paper, the Saints do have that.
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| Chris Graythen/Getty Images | |
| The Saints will need Jonathan Vilma and the defense to improve this season. |
They've got the league's top-ranked offense from last season. Keep in mind, all that happened with Shockey, Colston and Bush each missing significant playing time. Brees threw for more than 5,000 yards in a season when the Saints had little consistency in the running game and didn't get Shockey into the end zone.
"As good as it was last year, No. 1, that's our goal,'' Shockey said. "I think our goal again is to be No. 1.''
How much better than No. 1 can the offense be?
Actually, a lot. If Shockey and Colston can return to anything like they were earlier in their careers and Bush can play like he did in the first half of last season, Brees could end up shattering records. The Saints also are hoping to do a better job controlling the running game with some sort of combination of Bush, Pierre Thomas and a short-yardage back to be named later.
But, more than anything, they need to improve defensively. Funny, but that sounds like the same story from the past two offseasons. The Saints made moves such as bringing in Jason David and Randall Gay to solidify the secondary. They signed defensive line coach Ed Orgeron to get more out of the unit.
Those moves never brought the desired results. The Saints overhauled their defense again this offseason. They spent a small fortune on Greer and still drafted Jenkins in the first round to beef up the cornerback position. They got linebacker Dan Morgan out of retirement and plan to play him on the weak side.
They signed Spicer and Anthony Hargrove to push starting defensive ends Charles Grant and Will Smith. Orgeron left. Defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs was fired and replaced by Williams, who has a reputation as one of the league's best defensive minds.
They're plugging Sharper in as the free safety and trying to build around Vilma and defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, the only two bright spots from the 2008 defense. They're also getting cornerback Tracy Porter, who showed some promise early last season, back from a broken wrist.
Maybe, like Sharper said, there will be even more big plays on offense and fewer big plays allowed on defense. That formula probably would be enough to put the Saints into the playoffs.
"It's an offense that's been at the top of the league the last couple of years and a defense that can b
e a ball-hawking defense and the special teams are explosive when you can put a guy like Reggie out there,'' Sharper said.
"And the camaraderie that guys have. Guys like each other and want to play for each other. That goes for the coaches, too. Whenever you have that great chemistry, that goes a long way. Last year [the] Arizona [Cardinals], nobody expected they would be there at the end. When you have all the pieces in place, you know you have a shot.''
Maybe, with all the new pieces, the Saints will have a shot at more than they've accomplished the last two years.
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Here's the latest hurdle as we wait for the possible suspensions of New Orleans defensive ends Charles Grant and Will Smith to play out. The NFL Players Association plans to appeal last week's ruling on the case.
Translation: Who knows if some court might be more sympathetic? But, as this continues to drag through the legal process, the Saints have to go ahead and plan for the worst -- that's opening the season with Grant and Smith each on a four-game suspension.
The Saints already have been making plans for that scenario. The possibility of the suspensions is the main reason they signed free-agent ends Paul Spicer and Anthony Hargrove. They can pair those two with Bobby McCray and try to get through the first four games.
That trio of defensive ends isn't that bad to get through a game. But the Saints haven't been fast starters traditionally and the possibility of being without two starters for four games is particularly daunting when you look at the schedule.
The Saints open with Detroit, so it doesn't really matter who's playing defensive end in Week 1. But things get complicated in a hurry after that. The Saints go on the road to Philadelphia next and to Buffalo after that before returning home for a game with the Jets. They have their bye in Week 5.
Although there are plenty of other reasons for optimism about the Saints after their offseason moves, they're going to have to find a way to get through the first four games and be at least .500.
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| AP Photo/Mike McCarn; AP Photo/Don Heupel; Crystal LoGiudice/US PRESSWIRE | |
| Dan Morgan, Jabari Greer and Malcolm Jenkins are among the new faces in New Orleans trying to turn around what has been a lackluster defense the past few years. |
Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas
For the early scouting report on Gregg Williams' defense, let's turn to the guy who has the best view.
That's New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees.
"I think his style of football is one that breeds confidence and almost borderline arrogance out there that 'We're going to come after you and get you'," Brees said. "I love that attitude."
Brees, and anyone who plays or roots for the Saints, should love that attitude. It's a sharp departure from the past when the prevailing attitude seemed to be something more like "we're not coming after you."
That's a big part of the reason why the Saints missed the playoffs the last two seasons. They've had one of the league's best offenses, but it hasn't really mattered because the defense hasn't been able to stop anybody.
Blame it on former coordinator Gary Gibbs, injuries and personnel. That's what the Saints did, judging by what they've done in the offseason. They've got a bunch of injured guys back and healthy as they work their way through organized team activities (OTAs). They've got a slew of new faces all over the defense after focusing almost exclusively on that side of the ball in free agency and the draft.
But, most of all, they've got Williams.
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| Courtesy of the Jacksonville Jaguars/Icon SMI | |
| Jaguars GM Gene Smith and coach Jack Del Rio are placing a larger emphasize on building team chemistry and this season. |
Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky
To any Jacksonville Jaguar who might have been a bit reserved in 2008, who deferred to leaders like Fred Taylor and Mike Peterson, who thought it better to fit in and follow than to try to help set a tone, general manager Gene Smith and coach Jack Del Rio have a message:
Step forward.
"When you look at things with a league with great parity, I do think team chemistry is a direct factor, a big reason why some teams win at a higher level than other teams," Smith said. "I am a firm believer, and I say this all the time, that good players that play great together win championships.
"In order to play together you've got to have people that are unselfish, that are very disciplined, that put team first and where you have great peer leadership. That's where you develop that core team chemistry that enables you to succeed at a higher level."
Smith has been with the organization since 1994 and was elevated to GM after the 2008 season, taking over for vice president of player personnel James "Shack" Harris, who had resigned. With the new post came more power than Harris had -- Smith has control of all personnel decisions. As the Jaguars headed into the 2009 season and Smith sorted through the roster he inherited, the team appeared to believe in addition by subtraction:
- It let several free agents go without any effort to retain them: Peterson, a linebacker, landed in Atlanta; safety Gerald Sensabaugh in Dallas; left tackle Khalif Barnes in Oakland and Pierson Prioleau in New Orleans. Receiver Reggie Williams is unsigned.
- It dumped players considered to be mistakes who didn't produce or got in trouble: Receivers Jerry Porter and Matt Jones and cornerback Drayton Florence.
- It parted ways with some older guys who were looked to as leaders and spokesmen: Taylor (now a Patriots running back) and defensive end Paul Spicer (now with the Saints).
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| Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images | |
| Mike Peterson is gone from Jacksonville after clashing with coach Jack Del Rio last season. |
Peterson's relationship with Del Rio soured and came to a head after a well-publicized incident last year in which Peterson chafed over criticism from his coach. It was not a good development in a locker room that was already decimated by injuries, filled with underperformers and fracturing because of how some guys who'd been paid (like Porter and Florence) or wanted to be paid (like Peterson and Williams) were acting or being treated.
"The leaders, the veterans of the team, the true guys that were part of the team last year and will be part of the team going forward, all came and said, 'Coach, you did the right thing,'" Del Rio said of the Peterson developments. "That was important. It was something that needed to be done.
"Again, that's a situation where a guy was putting selfish interests ahead of the team, and then bucked up when challenged about it. It's been portrayed a certain way, and that's OK, because I'm not really concerned with it. But I know, and everybody that was a part of that understands that there's a way to do it that's right and there's a way to do it that's wrong, and there's going to be accountability in our organization."
How did a team that had great chemistry and success in 2007 lose so much of it in a year's time?
This was a big part of Del Rio's explanation at the owners' meetings:
"The thing that stood out in my mind was that we did pay a couple of guys a lot and elected not to -- for whatever reasons internally, and I'm not saying I didn't support it -- but when you don't pay a handful of guys whose contracts are expiring, and you are paying a couple that come in and don't prove to be the right kind of guys, it disrupts things. I think that was part of it."
That shouldn't be an issue going forward.
After conceding mistakes with Porter and Florence, the Jaguars have sworn off high-priced free agents. The two outsiders brought in -- tackle Tra Thomas and safety Sean Considine -- were inexpensive. The free agents they've re-signed were role players who didn't get much, either -- veteran center Brad Meester and special-teamers and backups Montell Owens, Brian Iwuh and Scott Starks.
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| Steve Mitchell/US Presswire | |
| Maurice Jones-Drew will be expected to take on a larger leadership role this season. |
The one guy who's in line for a pricey extension, running back Maurice Jones-Drew, might be the team's most important player. It would be hard for anyone to grumble legitimately if MJD gets his new deal.
With or without a new package, Jones-Drew will be looked to by the post-Taylor Jags to lead more.
"Certainly, Maurice Drew is one of the electrifying guys in the league," Del Rio said. "We're going to get him more opportunities. I think yo
u'll see some of his leadership skills emerge with the void created. He never really wanted to step on Fred's toes. And I think now that Fred's not there, it's going to open up the door for Maurice to be more assertive."
He and the rest of the Jaguars' vets will be joined by Smith's first draft class -- currently nine picks deep. Smith has said he plans to build through the draft, and that he plans to place a premium on character in his selections.
"We want to add good teammates to this football team," he said.
Del Rio emphasized that the franchise hardly feels the cupboard is bare. Smith pointed to players he expects to take on larger leadership roles in the new environment.
"We have a good core of what I would call emerging leaders, we have some young ascending players from Rashean Mathis, Daryl Smith, David Garrard, Marcedes Lewis, Brad Meester, Greg Jones, Maurice Jones-Drew. We go down the list, we have a number of players.
"Montell Owens is an outstanding leader on special teams. We have a good core and we have other guys that are emerging as well. As you build a team chemistry and you get people believing in 'we,' you have a chance to compete at a high level."
It's an age-old debate: Does chemistry beget winning or does winning beget chemistry?
Del Rio said he played on teams that had great chemistry but didn't win, that the 1989 Dallas Cowboys developed respect for each other even as they finished 1-15. The Cowboys of the early 90s, the Ravens of 2000 (for whom he was an assistant coach) and the 2007 Jaguars all had great chemistry, he said.
"It was as unselfish, team-first, egos-really-checked-at-the-door as it could be," Del Rio said of his group two years ago. "The same combination of guys for the most part kind of soured the following year. As coaches, we'd like to get our hands on it, whatever that magic formula is, and sprinkle it on all of our players. But it doesn't work that way. You have to work at it ....
"It's not automatic. I think there's a common respect needed. Last year -- again, I hate to continue to go back talking about it -- but one of the things that was clear early on was that this time of year we had a lot of talk about, 'Boy, my contract's not getting done, I need this.' There was a lot of 'I, I, I' and not enough 'We, We, We.' So we just need to get back to that commitment of doing things for the good of the team, and putting team first. That's going to be an emphasis."
Houston Texans
- John McClain says the Texans will sink or swim with Matt Schaub and have no interest in trading for Jay Cutler.
- A look at Texans' records that could fall in 2009, from Alan Burge.
Indianapolis Colts
- Tony Dungy won't be doing anything for the union on a paid or staff basis, reports John Oehser.
- The Colts are the "leading choice" to be the Bill's opponent in Toronto this fall, reports Vic Carucci.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- The release of Matt Jones had to happen, according to Cole Pepper.
- End Paul Spicer signed with New Orleans, where he will be reunited with coordinator Gregg Williams and linemate Bobby McCray, says Vito Stellino.
Tennessee Titans
- David Climer says the Titans ought to find a way to get Jay Cutler.
- Terry McCormick feels compelled to dismiss the idea of a trade bringing Cutler to Nashville.
- Receiver Justin McCareins could make a free-agent visit near the end of the week, says McCormick.
- A video interview with Jovan Haye, by Gary Estwick.
Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas
Despite limited salary-cap space, the Saints continue to be active in free agency.
Mike Triplett reports the Saints are interested in defensive lineman Paul Spicer and center Nick Lickey. They also had defensive lineman Shaun Cody in for a visit last week. Spicer can play end or tackle and Cody is an interior lineman. Pursuing them shows the Saints are looking for insurance in case starting ends Charles Grant and Will Smith have to serve suspensions at the start of the season, after reportedly testing positive for a banned substance last year. Spicer also has a history with new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. The two were together in Jacksonville the last two seasons.
Third end Bobby McCray and Spicer could be suitable starters for a four-game stint and Spicer's versatility could help the rest of the line the rest of the season. Cody could be viewed as an upgrade over Antwan Lake, who is a free agent and the Saints could consider releasing Hollis Thomas or Brian Young if they sign Cody.
It looks like the Saints are working to shore up their needs before the draft. If they make moves on the defensive line before then, it appears there would be only one glaring need to address with the 14th overall pick. That's the defensive backfield, where Malcolm Jenkins could be a prime target. Jenkins is a cornerback, who some project as a safety.
New Orleans' biggest need is at free safety and the Saints could consider moving Jenkins or cornerbacks Usama Young or Mike McKenzie there. They've also visited with free-agent safety Darren Sharper. He remains a possibility, but no deal appears imminent.
A roundup of some Thursday developments and articles as we await the clock striking midnight:
Who will be Matt Schaub's new backup once the Sage Rosenfels trade to Minnesota goes through? How about Chris Simms? The Titans free agent could land a better offer with a better chance to start. But he's college pals with Houston coordinator Kyle Shanahan, which could make for a match.
The Texans extended qualifying offers to five restricted free agents, with tight end Owen Daniels getting the maximum offer of a $2.792 million tender that comes with first- and third-round picks attached as compensation, John McClain reports.
Receiver David Anderson and defensive end Earl Cochran each got the minimum tender of $1.01 million. That comes with a seventh-round pick attached as compensation for Anderson and no pick connected to Cochran if they got an offer sheer the Texans don't match.
Early in the day there was speculation Jeff Saturday could try to get the Steelers interested, but he reached a three-year deal with the Colts.
Dominic Rhodes will test the market, writes Mike Chappell.
The team announced it would cut veteran defensive end Paul Spicer.
"Paul Spicer has been a productive and valuable member of this team for a long time," Jaguars GM Gene Smith said. "We've appreciated his team-first mentality and his blue-collar work ethic. He was a good example for the younger players because he was a guy who was not drafted but worked very hard to establish himself and his career."
The Jags could look for a mid-range veteran to help out. But even if they do, 2009 will bring more work and bigger expectations for Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves, last year's top two picks.
With no deal for Kurt Warner in Arizona, the Titans and Kerry Collins aren't going to get any closer. Collins has been waiting on a Warner deal to then try to get a percentage of the deal. If Simms (see Houston entry above) gets a quick deal with a team like the Bears or the Texans, it will mess up the Titans' Plan B and give Collins even more leverage.
If things drag on, Jim Wyatt wonders if the Titans would express an interest in Warner -- an unlikely match -- just to stir things up.
There has been nothing Thursday to indicate the potential for a last-minute breakthrough with the Titans and Albert Haynesworth. Haynesworth tops Pete Prisco's list of the 50 top free agents.
